Innocent photographer or terrorist?
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haha. is the police a young punk?
this is hilarious!!! shuttlecocks also need to inspect???
Hmmm.. this sub-forum does serve the purpose of 'general photography chat'. :think:
didn't think it works well to dump it under kopitiam. working around the subject has not been given enough attention in the forum, and i think not giving it a place can be partly a reason.
I've been on both sides of the fence and there's a fine balancing act between security and safety.
The trouble is some security officers do not know the clear letter of the law, and this is where it gets messy. What rights does a security officer actually have and what rights does the photographer actually have?
Try being a 'train nut' who likes to photograph trains and other bits of railway infrastructure.
Although plane nuts who like to hang around airports and photograph things apparently have it even worse.
Some 'enlightened' jurisdictions do allow and encourage 'fan photography' (as long as said photographers are not being a risk to them selves and others by trespassing onto tracks for example), many others have gone the other way, and any one who has interest in such things must be some sort of threat...
Even in counties where railway photography is allowed and officially encouraged (the extra eyes argument), the hired security monkeys on the ground often don't seem to know this and harass photographers anyway.
In the UK, where train photography IS allowed, rail fans have taken to carrying printouts of the 'official' photography guidelines to show to security guards when they inevitably get harassed.
One of the universal problems with 'private' security guards is poor training and understanding of the laws. Photographers of all types seem to get into problems with them more than your average person.
Although plane nuts who like to hang around airports and photograph things apparently have it even worse.
Some 'enlightened' jurisdictions do allow and encourage 'fan photography' (as long as said photographers are not being a risk to them selves and others by trespassing onto tracks for example), many others have gone the other way, and any one who has interest in such things must be some sort of threat...
Even in counties where railway photography is allowed and officially encouraged (the extra eyes argument), the hired security monkeys on the ground often don't seem to know this and harass photographers anyway.
In the UK, where train photography IS allowed, rail fans have taken to carrying printouts of the 'official' photography guidelines to show to security guards when they inevitably get harassed.
One of the universal problems with 'private' security guards is poor training and understanding of the laws. Photographers of all types seem to get into problems with them more than your average person.
I am a filipino working here in singapore and my main hobby is aviation which leads me to photography also. Last Friday, I was at my window watching C-130 and a beech craft planes passing by. Since its was a nice weather day and a photo opportunity for those lovely birds, i took my my camera and a 70-200 and took some pictures. After 15 mins while having fun editing, two police officers was knocking at my front door asking me if i were taking pictures at my window.
I told them yes and i was only taking pictures of the planes(well... one picture of neighbors laundry for focusing test) and one of the officer answered that im taking picture of sensitive issues and ask me some other question like what if this pictures will end up with abu sayyaf group and ask me which part of the philippines I'm from. honestly, i was trembling when they were asking but im a 100% anti abu-sayyaf and other terrorist network.
while my wife was talking to the officers, the officer mentioned that a neighbor reported me to them that i was at the window with a camera and a telephoto lens maybe doing wrong things :dunno: If I were a terrorist or a pervert then i should have not exposed myself in bright sunny day in a full open window and besides i put my lens down when there were no planes passing. After the incident, it seems i develop a phobia in taking pictures in public.
I told them yes and i was only taking pictures of the planes(well... one picture of neighbors laundry for focusing test) and one of the officer answered that im taking picture of sensitive issues and ask me some other question like what if this pictures will end up with abu sayyaf group and ask me which part of the philippines I'm from. honestly, i was trembling when they were asking but im a 100% anti abu-sayyaf and other terrorist network.
while my wife was talking to the officers, the officer mentioned that a neighbor reported me to them that i was at the window with a camera and a telephoto lens maybe doing wrong things :dunno: If I were a terrorist or a pervert then i should have not exposed myself in bright sunny day in a full open window and besides i put my lens down when there were no planes passing. After the incident, it seems i develop a phobia in taking pictures in public.
Sorry to hear that this happened to you, people here are getting paranoid and losing their common sense, due to hearing too many reports on the news.....:-(I am a filipino working here in singapore and my main hobby is aviation which leads me to photography also. Last Friday, I was at my window watching C-130 and a beech craft planes passing by. Since its was a nice weather day and a photo opportunity for those lovely birds, i took my my camera and a 70-200 and took some pictures. After 15 mins while having fun editing, two police officers was knocking at my front door asking me if i were taking pictures at my window.
I told them yes and i was only taking pictures of the planes(well... one picture of neighbors laundry for focusing test) and one of the officer answered that im taking picture of sensitive issues and ask me some other question like what if this pictures will end up with abu sayyaf group and ask me which part of the philippines I'm from. honestly, i was trembling when they were asking but im a 100% anti abu-sayyaf and other terrorist network.
while my wife was talking to the officers, the officer mentioned that a neighbor reported me to them that i was at the window with a camera and a telephoto lens maybe doing wrong things :dunno: If I were a terrorist or a pervert then i should have not exposed myself in bright sunny day in a full open window and besides i put my lens down when there were no planes passing. After the incident, it seems i develop a phobia in taking pictures in public.
HS
I am a filipino working here in singapore and my main hobby is aviation which leads me to photography also. Last Friday, I was at my window watching C-130 and a beech craft planes passing by. Since its was a nice weather day and a photo opportunity for those lovely birds, i took my my camera and a 70-200 and took some pictures. After 15 mins while having fun editing, two police officers was knocking at my front door asking me if i were taking pictures at my window.
I told them yes and i was only taking pictures of the planes(well... one picture of neighbors laundry for focusing test) and one of the officer answered that im taking picture of sensitive issues and ask me some other question like what if this pictures will end up with abu sayyaf group and ask me which part of the philippines I'm from. honestly, i was trembling when they were asking but im a 100% anti abu-sayyaf and other terrorist network.
while my wife was talking to the officers, the officer mentioned that a neighbor reported me to them that i was at the window with a camera and a telephoto lens maybe doing wrong things :dunno: If I were a terrorist or a pervert then i should have not exposed myself in bright sunny day in a full open window and besides i put my lens down when there were no planes passing. After the incident, it seems i develop a phobia in taking pictures in public.
I should report every person I see wearing a handsfree set and talking covertly. Might be a terrorist. :what:
Seriously, people are so paranoid that the terrorists have essentially achieved their goal, to make people live in terror.
Anyway, i never blamed the person who reported me. I understand his/her safety concerns. But the experience of being visited and asked by police officers was frigthening experience for me, when the officer asked to view the pictures in my camera i was too nervous that i forgot how to forward the pictures. :sweat: anyway lesson learnt for me. :angel:
anyway lesson learnt for me. :angel:
DSLR users are still a relatively small group to pick on, and will not harness much support. that is the very reason they do not pick on compact camera user.
Anyway, i never blamed the person who reported me. I understand his/her safety concerns. But the experience of being visited and asked by police officers was frigthening experience for me, when the officer asked to view the pictures in my camera i was too nervous that i forgot how to forward the pictures. :sweat:
How sad. To come from a country where people have freedom of expression rights, and the police have to have reasonable grounds for entry into a private apartment, yet to forget those very rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution at the most appropriate time.
It's not very difficult.
a. Photography is not a seizable offence. In fact, it's not an offence at all. I don't have to show you any pictures.
b. Get a search warrant if you want to enter my house.
But of course, the danger is that if they really want to get you, there's always ISA. And they just might find additional things (like "uncensored" VCD's and unlicensed software) which tends to occur as a side-effect of house searches conducted with a warrant, at least those that get featured in the papers. And for that, people give in.
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